LONGEST WINNING RECORD OF ANY HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS TEAM REACHES 30 YEARS!
BRANDON - Thirty years ago, Brandon defeated Chamberlain in the first wrestling match of the season.
Richard Nixon was in the White House, kids still listened to music on vinyl platters and the space shuttle had not lifted off the drawing board.
The Eagles haven't lost since.
What has come to be known as ``The Streak'' is the source of local pride and national scrutiny. But it is official.
John Gillis, assistant director of the National Federation of State High School Associations and editor of the National High School Sports Record Book, confirmed the record.
Brandon has the longest winning streak for any sport featured in the NFHS record book, which shows Brandon having won 375 consecutive dual matches and a second record of 384 meets without a loss (the Eagles were tied by Manatee in 1974). The second- longest streak belongs to a tennis team in Englewood, Colo., that reached 316 before it ended in 1999.
Coach Russ Cozart, who took over the team from Jim Graves in 1980, said time has stood still for him.
``It seems surreal,'' he said.
``It's amazing the great groups of kids who've come through here. [The program's success] has been a combination of the kids program, the coaching staff, instruction and tradition, which plays a big part.''
No one wants to be part of the team that ends The Streak, said three-time state champion Dennis Kitko, now an assistant wrestling coach at Durant High.
``It's a fraternity of guys who went through there who paid the price for a long time,'' Kitko said. ``Keeping that spirit and tradition alive, that's the advantage that Brandon has. It's something you feel responsible for.''
The Wall
When athletes arrive at Brandon, there's already a standard of excellence and hard work leaving little for Cozart to do in the way of motivation. Wrestlers need only look up from the practice mats to find it.
It nearly runs the length of Brandon's gymnasium west wall. It's a concrete reminder of all who have come before and all they must live up to.
Names from history painted in varying shades of maroon on a white background - 14 weight classifications separated by a giant Eagle flexing its muscles - create Brandon wrestling's Hall of Fame honoring those athletes who have placed at state since the program began.
But more important, it's the biggest motivator in the program.
``It's there for recognition and motivation,'' said Cozart, who spent $600 in 1988 to put up the first names.
Some kids begin wrestling in its presence at age 5.
``It's a constant reminder of our past and drives us to be better,'' senior Ryan Joyce said. ``When I was little I wanted to see my name up there. Maybe the 5-year-olds now can look up to us.''
For Cozart, the wall is tangible evidence of Brandon's wrestling tradition - more than the trophies that sit in a case outside the gym - because it puts a name, and in many cases, a familiar face to the titles.
Placards in the gym used to recognize district and region champions, but when those boards filled up, they had to be removed to make way for more state medalists. Soon the wall may fill up too.
``That would be a good problem to have,'' Cozart said.
Kids Wrestling
Joyce, Rocky Cozart and David Craig are current wrestlers who got their start at age 5 in the Kids Wrestling Club.
It's one of the greatest feeder systems in any high school sport.
But Russ Cozart likens it to Little League baseball and youth football and soccer.
``It's just another sport for kids to try,'' he said. ``Training year-round is not uncommon to any athlete.
``It's not out there to create high school champs, but to expose kids to wrestling.''
Observers see it as the foundation of continuing success.
``For a team to be recognized for this kind of success means that they must have a great feeder program starting at the youth level,'' said Tom Owens, publisher of InterMat, a national wrestling Web site based in Iowa. ``More than likely that gets many of the top local wrestlers to attend their school either early on or later in high school. It means that schools that they normally compete against have not been able to step their programs up to Brandon's level. Lastly, it means that Brandon has had great leadership and coaching for 30 years.''
Not every Brandon team is filled with former children wrestlers. Some take up the sport in high school and succeed like Rashad Goff, a state champion in 2003.
But clearly, the lifetime of training and travel - this year's team boasts five national champions - gives Brandon an advantage against wrestlers in other programs.
``Kids have to start young to gain experience,'' Kitko said. ``By the time they get to high school they've had thousands of matches.
``If you don't have a kids program, it's almost impossible to have a high school program as good as Brandon's.''
Russ Cozart calls Kitko the best wrestler to come out of Brandon, second only to four- time state champion Glenn Goodman from Chamberlain.
But two other wrestlers were valuable to The Streak.
Two Icons
In 1974, Tony Ippolito was Brandon's first state champion and became an icon. He was an assistant coach at Brandon, then head coach at Armwood before his death in 1988 from a rare form of cancer.
As an Italian immigrant who spoke broken English, Ippolito came to symbolize the grit and determination that characterize Brandon's wrestlers.
The second is Steve Smith.
``He might be the most valuable player to The Streak,'' Kitko said. ``He's The Streak-keeper.''
Chamberlain and Bloomingdale threatened The Streak a week apart in 1989. Both matches came down to Smith, wrestling in the heavyweight (final) class.
More than 2,000 anticipating the upset packed Chamberlain's gym, but Smith prevailed and Brandon won by 3 on a pin. Smith again pinned his opponent at Bloomingdale the next week and Brandon won by 9.
``Coach Cozart had prepped me for it,'' said Smith, now an elementary school physical education teacher. ``I just won one match. The rest of the team had to do their part, too.''
Smith said he doesn't think about those close calls or his role in preserving The Streak, until he runs into someone who reminds him.
People around Brandon have a keen memory when it comes to The Streak. It has been a source of community pride since it became a national record in 1988.
Two years earlier, Bismarck, N.D., the previous owner of a wrestling streak, lost for the first time in 175 matches.
``Finally we have a number to shoot for,'' Cozart said at the time. ``That means we are 27 short, or two seasons.''
Now, 30 years after The Streak began, Cozart said, ``It still amazes me what we've been able to do.''
BRANDON - Thirty years ago, Brandon defeated Chamberlain in the first wrestling match of the season.
Richard Nixon was in the White House, kids still listened to music on vinyl platters and the space shuttle had not lifted off the drawing board.
The Eagles haven't lost since.
What has come to be known as ``The Streak'' is the source of local pride and national scrutiny. But it is official.
John Gillis, assistant director of the National Federation of State High School Associations and editor of the National High School Sports Record Book, confirmed the record.
Brandon has the longest winning streak for any sport featured in the NFHS record book, which shows Brandon having won 375 consecutive dual matches and a second record of 384 meets without a loss (the Eagles were tied by Manatee in 1974). The second- longest streak belongs to a tennis team in Englewood, Colo., that reached 316 before it ended in 1999.
Coach Russ Cozart, who took over the team from Jim Graves in 1980, said time has stood still for him.
``It seems surreal,'' he said.
``It's amazing the great groups of kids who've come through here. [The program's success] has been a combination of the kids program, the coaching staff, instruction and tradition, which plays a big part.''
No one wants to be part of the team that ends The Streak, said three-time state champion Dennis Kitko, now an assistant wrestling coach at Durant High.
``It's a fraternity of guys who went through there who paid the price for a long time,'' Kitko said. ``Keeping that spirit and tradition alive, that's the advantage that Brandon has. It's something you feel responsible for.''
The Wall
When athletes arrive at Brandon, there's already a standard of excellence and hard work leaving little for Cozart to do in the way of motivation. Wrestlers need only look up from the practice mats to find it.
It nearly runs the length of Brandon's gymnasium west wall. It's a concrete reminder of all who have come before and all they must live up to.
Names from history painted in varying shades of maroon on a white background - 14 weight classifications separated by a giant Eagle flexing its muscles - create Brandon wrestling's Hall of Fame honoring those athletes who have placed at state since the program began.
But more important, it's the biggest motivator in the program.
``It's there for recognition and motivation,'' said Cozart, who spent $600 in 1988 to put up the first names.
Some kids begin wrestling in its presence at age 5.
``It's a constant reminder of our past and drives us to be better,'' senior Ryan Joyce said. ``When I was little I wanted to see my name up there. Maybe the 5-year-olds now can look up to us.''
For Cozart, the wall is tangible evidence of Brandon's wrestling tradition - more than the trophies that sit in a case outside the gym - because it puts a name, and in many cases, a familiar face to the titles.
Placards in the gym used to recognize district and region champions, but when those boards filled up, they had to be removed to make way for more state medalists. Soon the wall may fill up too.
``That would be a good problem to have,'' Cozart said.
Kids Wrestling
Joyce, Rocky Cozart and David Craig are current wrestlers who got their start at age 5 in the Kids Wrestling Club.
It's one of the greatest feeder systems in any high school sport.
But Russ Cozart likens it to Little League baseball and youth football and soccer.
``It's just another sport for kids to try,'' he said. ``Training year-round is not uncommon to any athlete.
``It's not out there to create high school champs, but to expose kids to wrestling.''
Observers see it as the foundation of continuing success.
``For a team to be recognized for this kind of success means that they must have a great feeder program starting at the youth level,'' said Tom Owens, publisher of InterMat, a national wrestling Web site based in Iowa. ``More than likely that gets many of the top local wrestlers to attend their school either early on or later in high school. It means that schools that they normally compete against have not been able to step their programs up to Brandon's level. Lastly, it means that Brandon has had great leadership and coaching for 30 years.''
Not every Brandon team is filled with former children wrestlers. Some take up the sport in high school and succeed like Rashad Goff, a state champion in 2003.
But clearly, the lifetime of training and travel - this year's team boasts five national champions - gives Brandon an advantage against wrestlers in other programs.
``Kids have to start young to gain experience,'' Kitko said. ``By the time they get to high school they've had thousands of matches.
``If you don't have a kids program, it's almost impossible to have a high school program as good as Brandon's.''
Russ Cozart calls Kitko the best wrestler to come out of Brandon, second only to four- time state champion Glenn Goodman from Chamberlain.
But two other wrestlers were valuable to The Streak.
Two Icons
In 1974, Tony Ippolito was Brandon's first state champion and became an icon. He was an assistant coach at Brandon, then head coach at Armwood before his death in 1988 from a rare form of cancer.
As an Italian immigrant who spoke broken English, Ippolito came to symbolize the grit and determination that characterize Brandon's wrestlers.
The second is Steve Smith.
``He might be the most valuable player to The Streak,'' Kitko said. ``He's The Streak-keeper.''
Chamberlain and Bloomingdale threatened The Streak a week apart in 1989. Both matches came down to Smith, wrestling in the heavyweight (final) class.
More than 2,000 anticipating the upset packed Chamberlain's gym, but Smith prevailed and Brandon won by 3 on a pin. Smith again pinned his opponent at Bloomingdale the next week and Brandon won by 9.
``Coach Cozart had prepped me for it,'' said Smith, now an elementary school physical education teacher. ``I just won one match. The rest of the team had to do their part, too.''
Smith said he doesn't think about those close calls or his role in preserving The Streak, until he runs into someone who reminds him.
People around Brandon have a keen memory when it comes to The Streak. It has been a source of community pride since it became a national record in 1988.
Two years earlier, Bismarck, N.D., the previous owner of a wrestling streak, lost for the first time in 175 matches.
``Finally we have a number to shoot for,'' Cozart said at the time. ``That means we are 27 short, or two seasons.''
Now, 30 years after The Streak began, Cozart said, ``It still amazes me what we've been able to do.''
